On-the-spot Luke McGlynn just days off becoming Donegal’s youngest penalty scorer

Luke McGlynn made just his second senior start for Donegal on Wednesday night in the Dr McKenna Cup game against Monaghan, and while his side lost by 0-15 to 2-7, the Glenfin man converted a penalty past Rory Beggan with some aplomb in the second half.

The ATU Donegal student will not turn 19 until February 28 and there was some discussion later in the night if he was the youngest ever player to convert a penalty at senior level for the county. He was aged 18 years and 317 days.

The research on the issue revealed that McGlynn missed out on creating a new record by just 17 days. Michael Murphy holds the record when he converted from the spot in the Ulster championship game against Derry on June 1, 2008, just before sitting the Leaving Certificate.

Luke McGlynn's penalty against Monaghan on Wednesday night. Video: Geraldine Diver

At the time Murphy was 18 years old and didn’t turn 19 until August 4 of that year, 65 days short of his birthday, so he was 18 years and 300 days old.

McGlynn scored his penalty on Wednesday night, 48 days short of his 19th birthday, so he just narrowly missed the mark.

Michael Murphy beats Derry goalkeeper John Deighan to score from the penalty spot in the 2008 Ulster SFC

The penalty against Derry was Murphy’s second at senior intercounty level. His first penalty - like McGlynn’s - came in his second start, when Donegal played Westmeath in the All-Ireland Qualifiers a year earlier in 2007 in Mullingar. That penalty, however, was saved by Gary Connaughton. Murphy, on July 14, 2007, was aged 17 years and 344 days.